Thursday, 29 December 2011

We’ve all been there – had a terrible itch that needed immediate attention. Yet while humans and apes are blessed with deft fingers that are useful for reaching and scratching, imagine having four legs (needed for standing up on) and just paws, hooves or teeth to help out on the scratching front.

As you might imagine, hilarity ensues when certain animals get an itch they’ve got to scratch but can’t quite reach, and so become involuntary contortionists. Case in point: can you look at this cow without laughing? Fourteen other funny animal pictures like this one follow.

With their short forelimbs, long, sturdy hind-legs and thick, long tails, kangaroos can look pretty disproportionate at the best of times. Throw a baby roo in its pouch into the equation, plus an itch that's just gotta be scratched, and you have a marsupial that looks well and truly off balance! Awkward indeed!

Not to be outdone by the bigger four-legged creatures featured here, this squirrel’s giving it all it’s got – and still manages to look almost elegant! With one forefoot outstretched while it balances on the other one, the squirrel then uses its hind foot to scratch its armpit. And the scratching is so vigorous that the foot has become a blur!.

This donkey looks like it’s going bonkers trying to reach that itchy spot. If only a helping hand were in sight! As it is, the poor creature’s eyes appear ready to pop out while it’s biting its tail in desperation. Hard to surp-ass, this one!

The blacktail buck pictured here found out that a terrible itch can be a real pain in the butt. At least the three-legged aerobics (which attest to an amazing sense of balance!) look like they brought some relief.

Photographed in Africa, this male springbok is trying hard to attain the same position achieved so effortlessly by the blacktail buck. He’s almost there… Just up a bit with the leg and reach with the neck… Stop shaking now! Easier said than done, though. Maybe this antelope should ask a sympathetic peer for help instead – even if it’s a different animal altogether, because as we’ve found out, interspecies grooming does happen.

The meerkat seated here is another animal that displays amazing agility while trying to get to that hard-to-reach spot.

Why do animals itch in the first place? For the same reasons we humans do: dry skin, is a prime cause, or it might be down to an allergy or skin disease. However, parasites tend to be a bigger problem for our furry friends than they are for us. Yes, ticks, fleas and mites can really make their lives miserable. And as we’re seeing, when you’ve got an itch, you’ve just got to scratch it!

Though this wild horse is having trouble reaching its itchy flank, it does achieve the scratching feat – with a good twist of the neck and a hearty bite, followed, perhaps, by a quick lick. Athletic, to say the least!

If the itch happens to be a little higher, somewhere on the back for example, four-legged animals can sometimes manage a little better, as this impala stag, snapped in Namibia, demonstrates. A vigorous bite with those teeth, and whatever was infesting the fur is gone, we’re hoping. Or at least the itch is assuaged. Impressive bend of the neck too!

What if all you have to scratch a slippery body with are flippers? Simple! Just bend a bit and use one of the flippers as we humans would a hand. In fairness, this isn't that much of an awkward looking position – but it's still a great photo! If this sea lion’s closed eyes and contented expression are anything to go by, it must have been one heck of a satisfying scratch. Ah, relief!

This magpie goose had an itch right where its head ended and its long neck began. Still, nothing a well-aimed scratch with the old webbed foot couldn’t solve. That’s one scary-looking foot, though! Those long, well-formed toes make it look like a giant claw – and it’s almost as big as the bird’s head! Yikes!

This red-eyed tree frog surely falls into the awesome category. Resting coolly on its belly, the frog manages to scratch (or perhaps clean) its right knee with its left foot, all while balancing on a leaf. Like a true amphibian – and a natural contortionist – it remains as cool as a cucumber while twisting one slender leg over the other.

Tuesday, 27 December 2011

In this Wednesday Aug. 31, 2011 photo, spectators flee as waves created by a tidal bore crash over a barrier on the Qiantang river at Haining, in east China's Zhejiang province. About 20 people were injured when they were caught too close to the river while viewing the annual tidal bore, which occurs when sea water from an unusually high tide funnels into the river, creating high waves.

In this Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011 photo provided by the Kinnelon Police Department, a sport utility truck is seen in a sink hole in Kinnelon, N.J., after rains from Hurricane Irene washed out a section of Kinnelon Road. Police said the section of road from Kinnelon south to the Boonton Township line will be closed for months repair. (Courtesy of the Kinnelon Police Department / AP)

A "haboob" storm that came through the Phoenix metro area in Phoenix, Arizona. It might look like a scene from an action movie, but these pictures of an enormous cloud of dust engulfing a small town isn't the latest installment from the Mummy franchise. Self-confessed storm chaser and photographer Scott Wood, 43, is fascinated by extreme weather. Setting up his camera at the Paseo Vista recreation area in Chandler, near Phoenix, Arizona, Scott captured the oncoming dust cloud with incredible clarity. The southeast valley of the Phoenix area is very flat, but this recreation area was built up to be something of a hill, it gives great 360 degree views,Scott explained. This dust storm was amazing! (Barcroft / Fame Pictures)

A ship is washed onto the city center of Kesennuma on March 12, 2011 in Kesennuma, Miyagi, Japan. An earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale has hit the northeast coast of Japan yesterday causing tsunami alerts throughout countries bordering the Pacific Ocean. (Sankei via Getty Images)

Billy Stinson (L) comforts his daughter Erin Stinson as they sit on the steps where their cottage once stood before it was destroyed by Hurricane Irene Aug. 28, 2011 in Nags Head, North Carolina. The cottage, built in 1903, was one of the first vacation cottages built on Roanoke Sound in Nags Head. Stinson has owned the home, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, since 1963. "We were pretending, just for a moment, that the cottage was still behind us and we were just sitting there watching the sunset," said Erin afterward. (Scott Olson, Getty Images)

Cars sit in the northbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive after accidents and drifting snow stranded the drivers during last night's blizzard Feb. 2, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. As of late morning over 20 inches of snow had fallen, making this snowstorm the third largest recorded in the city. (Scott Olson, Getty Images)

Cars, some overturned, that were swept into a pile by Friday's torrential rains are seen on a street in Genoa, Italy Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011. Italy's Premier Silvio Berlusconi says improper construction in flood plains was partly to blame for devastating floods that have killed at least six people in the port city of Genoa. Torrential rains lashing Genoa and Italy's western coast on Friday triggered flash floods that broke the banks of at least two rivers. (Matteo Corner, LaPresse / AP)

Tayo Kitamura, 40, kneels in the street to caress and talk to the wrapped body of her mother Kuniko Kitamura, 69, after Japanese firemen discovered the de*d woman inside the ruins of her home in Onagawa, northeastern Japan Saturday, March 19, 2011. (David Guttenfelder, AP)

Toyoki Sugawara looks out from his destroyed liquor shop where he is collecting any items he can salvage on March 18, 2011 in Kesennuma, Miyagi, Japan. Thousands have been killed as a result of the 9.0 earthquake and consequent tsunami that struck the northeast coast of Japan six days ago. A potential humanitarian crisis looms as nearly half a million people who have been displaced by the disaster continue to suffer a shortage of food and fuel as freezing weather conditions set in. (Paula Bronstein, Getty Images)

Sigo Hatareyama works to clean out what is left of his house on March 21, 2011 in Kesennuma, Japan. The 9.0 magnitude strong earthquake struck offshore on March 11 at 2:46pm local time, triggering a tsunami wave of up to ten metres which engulfed large parts of north-eastern Japan, and also damaging the Fukushima nuclear plant and threatening a nuclear catastrophe. The death toll continues to rise with numbers of dead and missing exceeding 20,000 in a tragedy not seen since World War II in Japan. (Chris McGrath, Getty Images)

A weed grows out of the dry cracked bed of O.C. Fisher Lake on July 25, 2011 in San Angelo, Texas. The 5,440 acre lake which was established to provide flood control and serve as a secondary drinking water source for San Angelo and the surrounding communities is now dry following an extended drought in the region. The lake which has a maximum depth of 58 feet is also used for boating, fishing and swimming. The San Angelo area has seen only 2.5 inches of rain this year. The past nine months have been the driest in Texas since record keeping began in 1895, with 75% of the state classified as exceptional drought, the worst level. (Scott Olson, Getty Images)

A woman and her baby look out over a flooded street on Aug. 31, 2011 in Wallington, New Jersey. New Jersey was especially hard hit by Hurricane Irene with thousands of residents forced into shelters due to flooded homes and many more still without electricity as rivers and creeks overflowed in the aftermath of the storm. President Barack Obama, who plans to visit Paterson, New Jersey on Sunday, has signed a disaster declaration for five counties in New Jersey, making residents eligible for federal assistance. (Spencer Platt, Getty Images)

The damaged Christchurch Cathedral in Cathedral Square on Sept. 28, 2011 in Christchurch, New Zealand. On Feb. 22 this year a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the city of Christchurch. The quake took hundreds of lives, and seven months on, the community continues to rebuild. (Cameron Spencer, Getty Images)

A man is rescued by emergency workers after he was stranded clinging to a tree on a flooded street in Toowoomba, Australia, during a flash flood Monday, Jan. 10, 2011. Flash floods swept through the northeastern Australian community killing one woman, trapping others in cars and leaving some clinging to trees as relentless rains brought more misery to a region battling its worst flooding in decades. (ABC / AP)

Damage to the Washington National Cathedral is seen the day after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake shook Washington and much of the East Coast, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011. (J. Scott Applewhite, AP)

Beverly Winans hugs her daughter Debbie Surlin while salvaging items from Winans' devastated home in Joplin, Mo. Wednesday, May 25, 2011. Winans and her husband rode out the EF-5 tornado by hiding under a bed in the home. The tornado tore through much of the city Sunday, damaging a hospital and hundreds of homes and businesses and killing at least 123 people. (Charlie Riedel, AP)

This aerial photograph shows a neighborhood destroyed by a powerful tornado in Joplin, Mo. Tuesday, May 24, 2011. A tornado moved through much of the city Sunday, damaging a hospital and hundreds of homes and businesses and killing at least 116 people. (Charlie Riedel, AP)

The head of a lawn deer remains above the flood waters from the Souris River in an evacuated western neighborhood of Minot, N.D. Friday, June 24, 2011. About one-fourth of the city's 40,000 residents have evacuated their homes. (Charles Rex Arbogast, AP)

A levee protects a home surrounded by floodwater from the Yazoo River May 18, 2011 near Vicksburg, Mississippi. The flooded Mississippi River is forcing the Yazoo River to top its banks where the two meet near Vicksburg causing towns and farms upstream on the Yazoo to flood. The Mississippi River at Vicksburg is expected to crest May 19. Heavy rains have left the ground saturated, rivers swollen, and have caused widespread flooding along the Mississippi River from Illinois to Louisiana. (Scott Olson, Getty Images)

A woman sifts through the destruction of a former T Mobile office after a tornado struck, Wednesday, April 27, 2011 Tuscaloosa, Ala. wave of severe storms laced with tornadoes strafed the South on Wednesday, killing at least 16 people around the region and splintering buildings across swaths of an Alabama university town. (Caroline Summers, AP)

Resident wade through floods in Rangsit district on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand on Friday Oct. 21, 2011. Thailand's prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra urged Bangkok's residents to get ready to move their belongings to higher ground Friday as the country's worst floods in half a century began seeping into the capital's outer districts. (Aaron Favila, AP)

Vehicles at a Honda car factory submerge in floodwaters in the Rojana industrial district in Ayutthaya province, central Thailand, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011. Monsoon deluges that have pounded Thailand since late July have affected 8 million people and swept across two-thirds of the country, drowning agricultural land and swallowing low-lying villages along the way. More than 200 major highways and roads are impassable, and the main rail lines to the north have been shut down. Authorities say property damage and losses could reach $3 billion dollars. (Sakchai Lalit, AP)

A pet dog follows a Thai woman as she wades through floodwaters carrying her baby to receive food distributed by Thai soldiers at a flooded neighborhood in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011. The flooding began in late July and the water has reached parts of Bangkok, where residents are frustrated by government confusion over how much worse the flooding will get. (Altaf Qadri, AP)

Vehicles are submerged in floodwater after heavy rain in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, July 28, 2011. Thousands of rescuers used heavy machinery and shovels Thursday to clear mud and search for survivors after huge landslides and flooding killed more than 40 people in South Korea.(Ahn Young-joon, AP)

Two-year-old, Aden Salaad, looks up toward his mother, unseen, as she bathes him in a tub at a Doctors Without Borders hospital, where Aden is receiving treatment for malnutrition, in Dagahaley Camp, outside Dadaab, Kenya, Monday, July 11, 2011. U.N. refugee chief Antonio Guterres said Sunday that drought-ridden Somalia is the "worst humanitarian disaster" in the world, after meeting with refugees who endured unspeakable hardship to reach the world's largest refugee camp in Dadaab, Kenya. (Rebecca Blackwell, AP)

Residents look at a transformer that lies in the middle of Maple Ave. in Newton, N.J. Monday Oct. 31, 2011. An unusual October snow storm this past Saturday dumped up to 15 inches of snow in some areas of N.J. causing power outages across the state. (Rich Schultz, AP)

Sunday, 25 December 2011

The four one-day-old cubs, with mom Sumba, have become the Belgrade Zoo’s biggest attraction.

Day-old white lion cubs lie next to their mother Sumba in their enclosure at Belgrade’s Zoo December 21, 2011. The four white lions cubs, an extremely rare subspecies of the African lion, have become the zoo’s greatest attraction. Another four white lion cubs were born in April earlier this year.

Three of four newly born white lion cubs lie next to their mother in their enclosure in Belgrade's Zoo December 21, 2011. The four white lions cubs, an extremely rare subspecies of the African lion have become the zoo's greatest attraction. Another four white lion cubs were born in April earlier this year.

A day-old white lion cub lies next to his mother Sumba in their enclosure at Belgrade’s Zoo December 21, 2011. The four white lions cubs, an extremely rare subspecies of the African lion, have become the zoo’s greatest attraction. Another four white lion cubs were born in April earlier this year.

Friday, 23 December 2011

Yellowstone National Park may be one of the nation's most well-known landmarks and is one of the most visited national parks in the country. The unique geology of the park is part of what makes it such a big draw for tourists; in particular, the many hot springs and geysers that dot the park are the most famous features of Yellowstone.

Tuesday, 20 December 2011

The year 2011 was absolutely brimming with historic, hilarious and downright heart-warming moments of doggie awesomeness! Stories of heroic hounds, comedic canines and doggie Dilbert's certifiably made life so much richer this year and we've selected some of our favorite four-legged stand-outs of 2011.

It was not easy, sifting through the incredible, insane, inane and sometimes hair-brained dog stories of 2011, but for you, dear readers, The Daily Treat will stop at nothing to keep you on the cusp of mutt's hot and mutt's not.

Our Top 10 Most Awesome Dogs of 2011

1. Loyal Dog, Hawkeye, Lays at the Casket of Fallen Navy Seal

A beautiful tribute and demonstration of a dogs loyal and unconditional love. Reportedly this story alone is responsible for a 32.36% increase in Kleenex's stock price in 2011. : ) Full story here >

2. The Amazing Commando Dog That Helped Snare Osama Bin Laden

This special four-legged soldier was a heavily-armored, explosive-sniffing pooch who was strapped to an assault team member and lowered into Bin Laden's hideout from a Black Hawk helicopter! To ensure their safety, these special four-legged forces are given oxygen masks for helicopter jumps as well as helmets with videocameras for remote monitoring. Read story here>

Does this ridiculous scenario look familiar? This ridiculous French Bulldog is engaged in what is commonly known as the water saving "pre-wash cycle" in my household. In fact, during a recent pre-wash cycle, Zazou's collar inadvertently became attached to the lower dishwasher tray. He reared back, taking twelve plates and the entire silverware basket with him. Only two plates survived! Read story here >

4. Dog Saves New Family Only Six Hours After Being Adopted

Gentle giant Hercules proved his worth as a loyal canine companion only six hours after being rescued from an animal shelter by chasing after an intruder who was attempting to break into his new adoptive family's house. Read the whole story here >

5. Static Cling Dog Channels a White Porcupine

Combine super dry air, a fluffy white dog, a synthetic fiber blanket and a monotone voice-over narrator and you've got a nugget of YouTube gold. See for yourself in the video below and read the full story here >

As the narrator suggests, this dog needs a good groooming or perhaps some good conditioner?

Enjoy!

6. Uber Happy Dog Plays Hide-n-Seek with Bouncy Sheep

The most adoro interspecies love affair between a bouncing, fluffy sheep and one scrappy happy dog. Dingleberries and all, watch what a good ole time this sheep is having clomp-a-clomping around the barnyard with a dog that seems to have decided "...to hell with the whole herding thing." Read the full story here >

7. Greece's Riot Dog

Allegedly present at nearly every importantGrecian riot since in 2008, and even braving police with teargas, it is unknown what this tenacious yellow dog, Loukanikos, was protesing, but he is deserving of a nod for getting up out of his tent and getting into the action. Read the full story here>

8. I Lean: Seeing-Eye Goose Befriends Blind Dog.

This heart-warming animal odd couple shows that love really is blind! A blind boxer named Baks got a whole new lease on life this year thanks to a good samaritan goose named Buttons who leads vision-impaired Baks around everywhere either by hanging onto him with her neck, or by honking to tell him which way to go. Read the full story here >

Bella, a brave terrier mix, happily chased robbers down her street earlier this year despite the ginormous Ginzu protruding from her forehead ! She survived the ordeal with flying colors and gets extra kick-ass doggy awesomeness points for her selfless heroicism! Read the full story here>

10. Determined Pit Pup Harper, Rescued from Trash Bag, Learns to Walk

Severely deformed, yet darling pitbull pup Harper was abandoned to die in a trash bag, but angelic shelter workers rescued her and provided her with proper therapy and now she has a new leash on life! Today, Harper is a frisky, happy pup who is gaining more and more mobility each day, to the astonishment of onlookers and medical professionals. Read the full story here >